College is the last step of a student’s academic journey. Unless, of course, they are pursuing to take on further studies. Most, if not all, college students begin with the end goal in mind: Graduation. For a select few, they seek to be academic achievers, dreaming of the day that their institutions would confer upon them their well-deserved Latin honors.
However, reaching such goals requires a lot of effort. Is it all worth it?
University of the Philippines Cebu’s top graduate, Edsel Suhayon Codoy, shares his take on regrets in college. On July 21, 2023, UP Cebu had its annual graduation ceremony with Edsel as its second Summa Cum Laude since it became a constituent university in 2016.
In a conversation with Edsel, he shared his realizations throughout his college journey. Of all the things he shared, here’s what hits home:
“Have no regrets. By this, it does not mean leaving it all on the field to the point of losing count of valuable things. Simply, it’s about having no regrets and knowing that you did things out of bravery for your growth.”
Graduating Summa Cum Laude, it may seem like Edsel had given his all in college leaving him no room for “what-ifs.” In actuality, Edsel expresses the biggest regret he had: Chasing excellence all the time and losing what life has yet to offer him.
He regretted not doing anything aside from studying; not meeting new people outside class, not joining school organizations, and not having an immersive experience with the real world.
“I was chasing excellence all my life that I lost track of other things.”
For other college students who are merely content with surviving the academic demands of school, these words feel familiar. There’s always the fear of failing by trying things outside academics. It’s quite risky to gamble and try other things with the uncertainty of time. One will never know if risking trying new things will make him or break him.
However, Edsel emphasized the importance of taking calculated risks and having a growth mindset—something he wished he did in college. It may be a frightening experience, but doing so is important, so that at the end of the day young students will have no regrets. He added that even if people tried and fell short of their expectations, it’s fine. Being self-forgiving and not being too hard on ourselves is already enough.
In spite of his regrets, it cannot be denied that Edsel’s grit and perseverance led him to this achievement. His hard work led him to this exact moment. When asked about his message to students striving, he shared that “Hard work does not betray. It will pay off in due time.”
Edsel added that even though people fail to achieve something, at least there’s consolation from the hard work. Hard work will lead somewhere, even if it is not a destination people wanted in the first place. Perhaps, it is only through giving our all are we able to accept the results of our hard work with no regrets.
Edsel’s story is a testimony of how hard work led him to where he is standing today, in spite of “what-ifs” and “could-have-beens.”